Longitudinal stretcher for hammocks



No. s|2,99|. Patented oct. 25, |898. l. E. PALMER.

LONGITUDINAL STRETCHER FUR HAMMUCKS.

(Appumion med Nov. 19, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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ISAAC E. PALMER, OF I\;`IIDDLETOVN, CONNECTICUT.

LONGITUDINAL STRETCHER. FOR HANIVIOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,991, dated October25,1898.

Application filed November 19, 1897. Serial No. 659,095. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC E. PALMER, of Middletown, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Longitudinal' Stretchers for Hammocks, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in longitudinal stretchers forhammocks; and it consists in a device arranged to cooperate with thehammock-supports for holding the opposite ends of the hammock at such adistance apart as to give to the hammock the desired pitch with respectto a vertical line.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l represents a hammock in sideelevation provided with an extensible stretcher of rigid material. Fig.2 is an enlarged crosssection through the stretcher, and Fig. 3 is aview in side elevation representing an extensible stretcher of flexiblematerial.

The hammock-body is denoted by A, its supporting-cords at its oppositeends by caf, and the supporting ropes leading, respectively, from thehead supporting-cords and foot of seat-frame to the point from which thehammock is primarily supported are denoted by a2 a3.

In the form shown in Fig. 1 the primary points of support (denoted by BB') are located a distance apart less than that which would be at alltimes desirable if the hammock Were to be allowed to take its naturalcurve when suspended therefrom, and in this instance I interpose theextensible stretcher of some suitable rigid material-such, for example,as wood-between the supportingropes c2 d3 and the supporting-cords atthe head and foot of the body of the hammock.

The stretcher is here shown as formed of three sections C C C2, thesections C C2 being arranged to telescope Within or slide along a groovein the central section C. The central section consists ot' a pair ofcheek-pieces c c', provided on their adjacent faces With grooves c2 forthe reception of the ribs c3 on the opposite faces of the slidingsections C' C2.

A pair of clamps, each consisting of open U -shaped sections c4 c,having a tongue-andsocket interlocking engagement o6 at one end and ascrew cv7 at the opposite end for drawing the sections together, serveto tightly hold the sections C C2 in their several adjustments.

The sections C' C2 are provided on their under sides With hooks c8 forthe attachment thereto of the opposite ends of the hammock, and on theiruppersides they are provided with hooks or eyes c9 for the attachmentthereto of one end of the supporting-ropes d2 a3.

By means of this structure the ends of the hammock, when secured at ornear the opposite ends of the stretcher and the latter extended, may beseparated from one another a distance much greater than the distancebetween the points of primary support and the hammock thereby caused toassume a position nearer the horizontal, as is commonly preferred incase the occupant desired to sleep or rest Without occupation. If, onthe other hand, the occupant desires to read While sitting in thehammock, the stretcher may be contracted in length and the ends of the'hammock thereby brought nearer together, causing the hammock to assume aposition nearer the vertical, and if a position still nearer the uprightbe desired the ends of the hammock may be shifted from their connectionswith the stretcher at or near its ends to connections With it nearer itscenter.

When the primary points of support are located a distance apart equal toor greater than the distance which the hammock would assume whenstretched in the position nearest the horizontal-as, for example, in theposition shown at B2 B3, Fig. 3-the stretcher (denoted by C3) may bemade of iieXible material-such, for example, ,as rope-and may bestretched between the hooks at the ends of the suspension-cords at theopposite ends of the hammock. By making this stretcher C adjustable inlength-as, for example, by carrying one of its ends through the eye .ofthe hook at the foot end of the hammock and folding it back along thestretcher and connecting it therewith by a tilting eyepiece D, WhichWill bind on the body of the stretcher When strain is applied to it andwhich will slide freely along the body of the stretcher When no strainis appliedthe opposite ends of the ICO hammock may be adjusted nearer toor farther away from each other to suit the pitch desired, thesupporting-ropes a2 as in this instance assuming a position nearer thehorizontal as the ends of the hammock are drawn nearer together by thestretcher and approach the perpendicular as the ends of the hammock arepermitted to separate from one another.

This longitudinal stretcher serves to give the hammock the variouspitches desired regardless of the distance between the points of primarysupport, and thus adds to its gen; eral utility, because of doing awaywith the necessity of tindin g points of primary support a distanceapart sufficient to stretch it inits position nearer the horizontal, ashas heretofore been common.

What I claim isl. The combination with a hammock, of an adjustablelongitudinal stretcher for holding the hammock in the desired extendedadjustment and swinging supporting devices attached to and extendingupwardly from the stretcher for securing it to fixed supports atdifferent distances apart, whereby the hammock may be maintained in thedesired extended adjustment and in alinement Whatever be the distancesapart of the fixed supports, substantially Vas set forth.

2. The combination with a hammock, of an eXtensible and contractiblestretcher arranged lengthwise of the hammock for holding the hammock inthe desired extended adj ustment and swinging supporting devicesattached to and extending upwardly from the stretcher for securing it tofixed supports at dierent distances apart, substantially as set forth.

3. The longitudinally-extensible stretcherbar, comprising a centralsection formed of cheek-pieces and sliding sections interposed betweenthe cheek-pieces, the sliding sections and the cheek-pieces beingprovided, the one with a tongue and the other with a groove to receivethe tongue and clamps, consisting of separable interlocking sections,for holding the cheek-pieces in close engagement with the slidingsections to secure them in their various adjustments, substantially asset forth.

ISAAC E. PALMER.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNEs, C. S. SUNDGREN.

